Va. man to serve 15 years for attacking police officer

WASHINGTON – A Springfield man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for beating an unidentified Alexandria police officer until he was bleeding and unconscious.

A jury convicted Clarence Tyree, 46, on a charge of maliciously causing bodily injury to the officer last month. And Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler sentenced Tyree based on the jury’s recommendation, according to a city press release.

Alexandria officials did not release the officer’s name. A copy of the indictment laying out the charges against Tyree was not immediately available Thursday afternoon.

The officer was investigating was investigating thefts from vehicles in a parking lot in December 2012, when he came across Tyree. The officer tried to detain Tyree, but Tyree attacked the officer. The officer was struck repeatedly in the head and knocked to the ground, police say.

The unidentified officer remained in the hospital for several weeks and has since returned to work, officials say.

In February, another Alexandria police officer, Peter Laboy, was shot in the head. The man accused of shooting him was indicted on charges of attempted murder and weapons violations in May.